Bookcase having vertically adjustable shelves



July 19, 1960 H. A. SIMPSON, JR 2,945,599

BOOKCASE HAVING VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE SHELVES Original Filed Jan. 24,1958 FIG. I.

1N VENTOR H A SIMPSON, JR

B Y r ATTORNEYS United States Patent BOOKCASE HAVING 1 SHELVE Originalapplication Jan. '24, 1958, Ser. No. 711,109. Divided and thisapplication Nov. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 777,807

g 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-147) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see.266) The invention described hereinafter may be manufactured and used byor for the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to furniture and particularly to furniture foruse aboard navalships and the like. More particularly, this inventionrelates to ready-made modular, as contrasted with custom built,furniture for use aboard naval ships.

The instant application is a divisional application of applicantscopending application Serial No. 711,109, filed January 24, 1958.

-As is well known, furniture space aboard a naval vessel is generally ata premium, particularly on a ship conversion job, with a result thatheretofore there has had to be a compromise between available space,utility and comfort. This in turn has resulted in custom-builtfurniture, or where ready-made furniture has been used, a largeinventory of various shapes and sizes has had to be stocked.

An object of this invention is to provide ships furniture incorporatingnovel features that overcome inherent disadvantages in existing shipsfurniture.

A further object of this invention is to provide readymade sectionalfurniture for use aboard naval ships.

A further object of this invention is to provide a utility lockerincorporating a novel bookshelf having means thereon to prevent books orthe like from being tossed about in rough seas.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a utilitylocker which incorporates several unique features. In addition to drawerstowage for small items such as underwear, handkerchiefs, socks, etc.,it is provided with a novel adjustable shelf for stowage of books or thelike. This shelf has a hinged ledge that can be dropped down for easyremoval of books, magazines, etc., or it can be locked in place by meansof a spring latch to prevent books or the like from being tossed aroundin rough seas.

The invention, together with the above and other objects and advantages,thereof, is set forth in more technical detail in the followingdescription and accompanying drawings in which like reference charactersdesignate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged front elevational view, partly in verticalsection, of a utility locker made in accordance with this invention;

VERTKSIALLY ADJUSTABLE Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a locker shown inFig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of an invisible hinge for connecting partsof the shelf of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows 7 of Fig.2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a utility lockerhaving side and rear walls, top and bottom members and a base, allflanged, reinforced and provided with fixed and movable detents (Fig.1). Each of the pair of utility lockers includes a book compartment 92,closed by a pair of doors 94, (Fig. 1), and beneath the book compartmentis a pair of drawers 120. The doors are shown in open position in Fig. 1and for clarity of illustration are omitted from Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the book compartment 92 includes a verticallyadjustable book shelf 96, which shelf comprises a fiat bottom 96a,upturned sides 96b and an upturned front or ledge 96c. A movable ledge97 is pivotally mounted on ledge 96c by a pair of concealed hinges 98,the latter shown in broken lines in Fig. 5, and one such hinge is shownin full lines in Fig. 7. Any conventional, concealed or invisible hingemay be used for connecting the movable ledge 97 to the relatively fixedledge 96c. Thepurpose of the fixed and movable ledges is to secure thebooks upon the shelf and still have them readily accessible.

The book shelf, 96 is mounted for vertical adjustment on three pairs ofchannel members 100, 102 and 104 (Figs. 2-4), mounted as by welding onopposite side walls of the locker. Each of the channel members isprovided with vertically spaced openings 100a, 102a and 104a,respectively, as shown in Fig. 2. A pair of U-shaped bails 106 arepivotally mounted, as by stirrups 107 (Fig. 4) to the undersurface ofthe book shelf at each side thereof, with the free ends 106a of thebails adapted to enter desired openings 100a and 102a of the channelmembers 100 and 102, respectively, for adjustably supporting the shelfin the locker.

The movable ledge 97 is formed with a rolled or tubular portion 97a atthe top thereof (Fig. 6), which tubular portion forms a smooth surfacefor holding books or the like in place on the shelf and it also forms ahousing for a pair of spring pressed bolts 108, located one within eachside of the tubularportion 9711 (Fig. 5). Each of the bolts 108 (Fig. 4)includes a plunger 110 snugly fitted in the tube 970. The plunger has apin or operating handle 112 extending radially therefrom for movement.in a slot 97b in the tube 97a. A pin 114 extends axially from the leftend of the plunger for engagement within an appropriate opening 104a inchannel member 104, while a second pin 115 extends axially from theopposite end of the plunger and carries a compression spring 116, whichspring is held on the pin by a disk 117 and a rivet 118. The arrangementis such that by moving the handle 112 to the right (Fig. 4) pin 114 isremoved from its opening in channel 104, whereupon the ledge 97 may bemoved from the upper or broken line position (Fig. 2) to the lower orfull line position.

To change the adjustment of the book shelf, it is necessary only to movethe shelf upward until the ends 10611 of the bails 106 are withdrawnfrom the openings in the channel members 100 and 102, whereupon, theshelf may be moved upwards or downwards as desired and until the ends ofthe bails enter other openings in the channel members corresponding tothe new position of the shelf. Prior to so adjusting the book shelf,however, it is necessary to withdraw the spring pressed bolts 108 fromengagement with the openings 104a in channel members 104, after whichthe ledge 97 may be moved to the open and lower position shown in Figs.1 and 2 and the shelf may then be adjusted, as just described. As shownin Fig. 4, the channel 104 is provided with a beveled portion 10 1b forguiding the pin 114 toward the opening in the channel.

Patented July, 19,1960 1 formed with a flanged opening 121a, shaped toreceive a mating portion, not shown, formed on the outer end of thedrawer.

Thus it is seen, in accordance with this invention, there is provided alow cost utility locker particularly adapted 'for use aboard navalships. The novel bookshelf arrangement of the locker provides featureswhich are particularly adapted to keeping books or the like in placeeven though the ship may be pitching and rolling in heavy seas. Theshelves are adjustable in height to provide a simple means for makingthe most use of available space and is useful wherever space is at apremium. Although the locker is designed for use particularly aboardship, it is obvious that it may find utility in other and differentenvironments.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosurerelates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and thatnumerous modifications or alterations may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theappended claim.

What is claimed is:

A bookcase comprising opposite side walls, a pair of channel membersmounted in spaced relation on each of said sidewalls, said channelmembers being formed with vertically spaced and horizontally alignedopenings therein; a bookshelf including a ledge extending across thefront thereof formed of a lower portion fixed to the shelf and an upperportion hinged to the lower portion, and securing means for releasablysecuring the upper portion of the ledge in vertical alignment with thelower portion thereof to allow access to books on said shelf whileholding the books in place when said ledges are in position; saidsecuring means including a channel member mounted on each of the sidewalls in line with the ledge and formed with a plurality of spacedopenings therein, a tubular member formed on the upper portion of theupper ledge and a pair of spring pressed bolts mounted in opposite endsof the tubular member and having outer ends thereof adapted to engageselected openings in the last named channel members; means mounting saidbookshelf on the first named channel members for vertical adjustmentrelative to said side walls, said mounting means including a pair of U-shaped members pivotally mounted on an under surface of the shelf ateach side thereof and each of said U-shaped members having free endsthereof adapted to enter selected openings in the first named channelmembers for adjustably supporting the shelf thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS388,066 Murphy Aug. 21, 1888 890,986 Jones June 16, 1908 1,219,715Eiseman Mar. 20, 1917 1,280,114 Williams Sept. 24, 19l8 2,473,508Collins June 21, 1949 2,631,808 Isaac d. Mar. 17, 1953

